Eritrean activist describes her home country as an open prison and the North Korea of Africa

Four years ago Luwam Estifanos fled from the military in Eritrea in east Africa and paid $4,000 and risked her life to be smuggled across the border.

(www.independent.ie) – The 25-year-old now lives in Norway, where she lobbies the international community to highlight the conditions in her home country.

Here is her dramatic story, as told at the One Young World summit in Dublin last week:

“I represent a humble but nevertheless oppressed and enslaved people; I represent a nation, whose current human rights record is beyond poor. I represent Eritrea, a country known otherwise, as an open prison; referred to as the North Korea of Africa by Human Rights Watch.

In an era where human rights is highly valued and guarded, Eritreans suffer severe human rights abuses in all forms.

The youth are forcefully conscripted to an indefinite military service, where their labour is exploited and they survive with just $10 a month. Worse, women conscripts are subject to sexual assault, by higher ranks in the military.

39 Responses

You have to send this for ESAT Eritrea Radio yo broadcast this instead of preaching other fiction things about Ethiopia. Tesafa BekelE aka tesfa yelelew.your days are limited get back to the right track.

I have been asking my self quite for a long time, where is the reasons of voices of Diaspora Eritreans unheard, while their country is tuned to one of the opaque country on Earth.
The beautiful girl, It is too late however Truth has no expiry date. you did a great job and keep up the good work.
Ever since the African Hitler, Isayas Afowrki came to the apex of EPLF, we see exodus of numerous young and old Eritreans in search of peace and better lives in Foreign lands. Every time we hear tales and stories of such a girl, and tragedies of lampedusa, our heart immensely bleeds and our shared grief was palpable.
Now things are becoming clearer, it is about the Eritreans to decide their fate. No body is ready TO shoulder the heavy weight on behalf of them. It is either to let their people live under, the Hitler Isayas Afeworki, declare the
their peace and freedom by decapitating him. The world eye is on Eritreans to observe the political drama.

Let me reply and please you…..kkkkk…..Eritrea is the first one in Africa for jailing journalists…..and Ethiopia is the second.

Amnesty Innerenational recently reported ….”Thousands of members of Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, the Oromo, are being ruthlessly targeted by the state based solely on their perceived opposition to the government”……”At least 5,000 ethnic Oromos have been arrested between 2011 and 2014 based on their actual or suspected peaceful opposition to the government.”

Selezih….amede be duket yesekal new negeru…..the above article on Awramba Times is nothing more than a cheap propaganda. Report the atrocity and operation at home before sniffing on others….

you are wasting your time with an empty man who wasted his time doing nothing! he writing things that we used to say friends to upset them! read all his comment ,they allare senseless! as old as him, he has nothing to accomplish so he is wasting our time! the reason he hate woyane ,because during the fight between TPLF & EPRP, he is one of these who ran to Eritrea with his legs touching his ears! he is bragging nonsense now from behind the computer! HE HAS NOTHING ELSE TO! HE HERE & AT THE PALTALK AT THE SAME TIME !

she is boring…they deserve what they got they asked for it, they got it.period.why complain now….95% of eritreans who live in diaspora love and respect this man..they think he did a marvelous job protecting and developing there country..yes indeed he built a road ,school ,14 universities..75 colleges,290 hospitals…they have gold , diamond..currently they are exporting the youth to be slave in different part of the world including ethiopia [75%]..they are snakes ..they will spy for shabia..so the ethiopia government has to be vigilant about this getata ppl…i think its about time to build a fence to stop there migration…they have no use to ethiopian society..all they bring is there shirmutina..ther getata teeth ,there misery….98 % of eritreans soldier are bushti nachew that what they bring if we let them in…so we have to stop them….they were abused by italians then the brits..then the arabas then by us…so they have this low life slave mentality it will never change……my advise please stay there don’t come to ethiopia…..

This commentator is not happy the young woman shared her personal experience and her true feelings. For the benefit of non-Tigrigna speakers, I have translated below the comments.
”You are pathetic. You are hoping to gain money by betraying the eternal country, which came into being through sacrifices, and which is under reconstruction by young people like you. You garbage. Why is this negative expression coming from you instead of offering your assistance? You garbage.
The country in which you are currently living appears comfortable. But when they were reconstructing it, in a much worse manner than Eritrea, they depended on mice for their nourishment. At least, in Eritrea, people eat healthy meals. You are a bearer of a garbage history. You good for nothing, enquire from those who made you a messenger.”

Thanks Reply, this beautiful girl has spoken the truth. But do you think that, such kind of abuse happen in Ethiopia? Don’t tell me the Muslim Silte shinkurt SHACHOCH lie. Any way for Eritreans, to get their freedom, they have to do by themselves.

Dear Beza,
You asked for my opinion. I believe Eritreans should get assistance from all freedom loving countries (including Ethiopia) to fight the evil system. In fact, it is not only Eritreans who are suffering, but also people of neighbouring countries. If Ethiopia is assisting the Somalis to fight the stone-age philosophy of Al-Shebab, it has to be also willing to assist the Eritreans fight their weird system. In fact, destroying Shabeya once and for all can be equated to destroying all evil and backward systems in the region. It is a fact that shabeya is the incarnation of all things evil. Why do I think Ethiopia should assist the Eritrean people is because, Ethiopia cannot be truly free with a bankrupt good-for-nothing country as its neighbour.
You asked me if such kind of abuse takes place in Ethiopia.
I’m not in Ethiopia and therefore cannot say whether such abuses take place there. But every chance I get to speak with my folks (in Ethiopia) over the phone, they say nothing about abuses, but the building of infrastructure, clean potable water, highways, rail system, schools, colleges, universities, building of dams, harnessing of wind and solar energy systems, the spreading of healthcare systems – both state of the art healthcare facilities and basic health education, the fight against corruption, creation of jobs. Many have improved their lot and have become self-sufficient. Above all, people see tomorrow as more brighter and hopeful. It is true from time to time, they encounter difficulties. But they are willing to endure short-term sacrifices for long-term gain! My folks truly believe that the GRD and the other dams will help electrify the country from east to west, north to south. They say the extra energy will be exported to neighbouring countries including Yemen! They tell me all this. Who am I not to believe what they are saying. Of course I ask them to tell me if the negative news I hear from Diaspora world are true. My folks laugh at me for being gullible to the so called news which is fabricated by haters of peace and development. My folks insist that all is well and above all they look for tomorrow with much great anticipation. So, dear Beza, who should I trust? My own folks who reside in Ethiopia or some idiot who has never set foot there for the last 30 years? I trust my own folks for what they tell me is not politics but truth!! Sorry I got carried away.

Reply, you said it all. I have been to Ethiopia last month. All your folks told you is true. Those the Facebook fighters of diaspora, they want to tell all I saw was not true. But this comes from the desperation. Thank you for putting it the right way.

This is what Ginbot 7 and other naive Banda’s are trying to bring for the Ethiopian people. When Eritreans are leaving their country desperately, our “first Ethiopian” are going to Asmara to conspire against Ethiopia with those who are mercilessly oppressed and destroyed their own people. Eritrea is a lost country. Because Shabia is in the second phase to destroy the second generation of the Eritrean youth. The only thing the Eritrean people have now is Zefen! They compensate their failure with yekalo and Jeganu Zefen! For how long people make themselves proud with empty song?
I think they have to swallow their proud. Ethiopia is moving forward while “African Singapore” Eritrea go back ward.Sad to see the suffering of ordinary Eritreans. I think Eritrea is now 50 back from Ethiopia with regard civilization. Peace and freedom for our Eritrean brothers and sisters.
Long Live Ethiopia

If Ethiopia declines foreign aid like Eritrea Ethiopians would not live one year in peace. Eritrea got one of the fastest growing economies even with the UN sanction. The external debt of Eritrea is almost nill. China, South Korea, Italy, South Africa, and Germany are aggressively pursuing market opportunities in Eritrea.Foreign investment is hindered by government regulations that seek to protect domestic industries from foreign competition and by a generally unfavorable investment climate. Major foreign investors in Eritrea include China, South Korea, Italy, South Africa, and Germany, as well as the World Bank.

The government prefers private-sector investment to official aid programs and declines foreign aid; therefore its relations with aid-dispensing nations and international institutions have often been difficult.Soon eritrean-Americans will have an opportunity to bring Us products to Eritrean markets since Isayas will not live forever and sanctions will get lifted. Eritrea got potential if these generation can get through the current heavy storm of Isayas’s adminstration.

This is invalid and shameful argument. Eritrea is unthankful and pretends not to receive AID. But actually Eritrea has been receiving more “AID” per capita from capricious countries like Qatar and Egypt for its dirty job.

Ermias Hailesilasie/Ermi/ thank you for revealing your Shabiyan/Eritrean/ origin. Anyways, your comments were telling us that, you’re true son of Eritrea. But you are engaged with true Ethiopians excluding that EPRP Shimagle, who is languishing in his nursing home, Tesfa yelelew/TESAFA BEKELE NEGN KEVIRGINIA. May be if you think the guy is worth, you are making grave mistake.

Why don’t you live in Eritrea if Eritrea is registering the fastest economic growth. If what you are telling us to be true, why the Eritrean people are taking the risk, to live the country through the police ordered to shoot.

I really love if Eritrea become self reliant, but the truth is opposite. Eritrea is the country, which is hell for its citizens. Ethiopia is still better and registering double digit economic growth. You guys have lost when you became independent in 1993. My friend peace be upon Eritreans. You have to listen to this beautiful girl message. There will be no witness more than her.

Beza, you are wrong about the identity of Ermi and the writer of the above comment you replied to. You are usually wrong on your remarks except the beauty of the Eritrean girl.

The other thing you need to know is Ethiopia is the second poorest country next to Niger, thanks to woyane 5th graders rule. So Eritrea’s economy is much better than the woyane invested country. Maybe, Meles’ belief that chatting with Dictator Isayas Afworki is worth more than reading 10 books can hold some truth in the dedebit world.

Ermias Hailesselasie, your claims are Baloney. The devil incarnate, aka DIA, has obliterated Eritrea to the middle ages before our eyes: no running water or electricity, no gasoline, rationed food. While marijuana is being legalizes in several countries, sugar, cooking oil, pasta, etc are sold illegally in the black market in Eritrea.

Depressed Eritrean, the same is true in woyane infested Ethiopia as well. Other than the corrupt few woyane 5th graders and their telalaki hod-ader prostitutes, the whole Ethiopian population is at the mercy of foreign aid and only eat one a day or every other day. Water is so scarce in the capital Addis. Electricity is a luxury that made fridge useless as a food
preserver. Women are sold to the middle east for prostitution. Now, medical professionals are being forcibly shipped to Liberia to get infected by Ebola – making Sawa military service a lottery jackpot in comparison.

So don’t complain too much about Eritrea without knowing The case in Ethiopia.

She compered on democracy Eritrea vs North Korea. but N.K has advanced military capability /long range missiles, Nuclear capabilities/ and middle class living standard, but Eritrea with AK 47 and the fifth poorest country in the world, below than Ethiopia.

i believe her That She was a sex Slave under Dictator isayAss Afetankis Rule in her Shit hole country Eritrea. and she is not alone there are a lot of Eritrean womens who are sex Slave in The Areb World such as Sudan Egypt etc. and the money they get is controled by Eritrean spys and they took thier money to feed thier hangry Soldiers OMG. what a Shame??

It was in the 1860s when things started to become the way they are in the region including what is today Eritrea. Since the 15 century, the ottoman started to colonize the entire Middle East and North Africa. Egypt was their main seat in the region. More than half of Egyptians today are the descendents of ottoman. Meaning they are not Africans (native Egyptians), Arabs, Greeks, Italians or others came to Egypt during the continuous colonization era started since the 3 century BC by the Greeks.

The so called Gragn war against Ethiopia between 1529-1543 was conducted by the Ottomans and its Arabs colonies. But in order to hide from the world and stop confrontation the Ottoman Muslim war against the Christian, they created a fictional character called Ahmed Gragn associating from the region while the ottomans Turk Arabs were the main actors in the war. The two failed and defeated wars in the North against Ethiopia happened in the name of so called between Egypt and Ethiopia in the beginning of the 16 century which was years before the 1529-1543 war in the east were not conducted by Egypt but Ottoman Empire that was colonized the Entire ME and North Africa. They failed in the North. That is why they started in the south east and managed to destroy everything and changed Ethiopia forever. They were worse than ISIS is today.

The Ottoman Empire managed to hurt Ethiopia in many ways including losing lots of Territories what is today in Sudan. Much of Sudan, all Eritrea, Somalia and northern Kenya were one entity before the Ottoman Empire. When we come to today’s Eritrea, the ottomans did manage to have a presence only in Matsawa. The rest of Eritrea was part of Abyssinia/Ethiopia including what is Djibouti for thousands years. One Time was Yemen, western Oman and Saudi Arabia part of Abyssinia including till the 6 – century by crossing the sea and ocean. Ethiopia had always a sea and ocean coasts for thousands years before the English came there in the 1880s.
That is why including During Atse Theodros era, he was very much serious controlling foreigners mainly the English at coasts before they allowed interring the country. During his era, there was a policy bringing the foreigners inside the country blind folding every few kilometers not allowing them to know the routs from the sea. When they leave, it was done the same way taking another route than they were used to come in. The point is that during Atse Theodros, Yohannes and much of the Minilk Era, behalf matsawa, the entire Eritrean coast and Djibouti was part of Ethiopia.
Remember; Ethiopia was the only nation with working and legitimate independent government in Africa during that time. The rest was not yet divided under the colony but was an open field living like wild animals in the savannah suffering under slavery for 300 years. Slavery was legally ended in Europe in 1882 and they did come up with another idea and in 1884 they decided to scramble the continent that did lead to the creation of colonies and those colonies became independent nations. But Ethiopia was more than 100 year an independent nation in modern time than any nation in Africa as Egypt was technically independent in 1922 only for domestic affairs and 1937 did get more rights from eth English. They left Egypt by force in 1959 war between Egypt and England.
The English didn’t like Ate Theodros because of he was smart, brave, treated them equally, showed them the line in Ethiopia and region they can or cannot cross, he had a vision for Ethiopia and region and in general he was someone they don’t want to see from any black person. He was self assurance, confidence and patriotic Ethiopian/African.
This was during the slavery era against the blacks. But he jailed them when they started to treat him the way he didn’t like and accept. As a result, they started to play their old known tricks that looks like is in their gene and blood which is dividing the citizens, make them quarrel, destroy the nation properties and kill each other. They create one group that is working for them against the other that is working for own country and people. As a result Aste Theodros era was finished with devastating results.
After his death, the massive looting and destruction of Mekdella and all the treasures including more than 300 on Goat skin written manuscripts some of them weight 25-40 kG, they took His wife Mintwab and His son Alemeyehu as prisoners of war. The reason behind was if they let them stay his wife or Son, the people will regroup and declare one of them a queen or king. Because the situation was working this way in the world during that time including in England. When the king died or killed his wife or son as young as babies were declared queens or kings.

But they killed Mintwab in the afar desert or thrown her in the red sea no one knows the truth while they took Alemayehu in England as a trophy treating him like a little Monkey allowing the children to play with it and treat it the way the salves were treated during that time. Imagine what kind suffering he had been in England as a child alone and lonely during that time where blacks were seen legally as tools, properties and dangerous creatures.
It was during the highest era of Slavery and colonization its head quarter was London and the main players were the Establishments the Royal families on the Top. Alemayehu, the King of Ethiopia son died in England alone and lonely as prisoners of war when he was 18 years old. Till this days no one asks them for this crime or they didn’t apologize but distorting the facts in order to hide their crimes presenting the situation as if the King son was order by his father to go with his killers. This is how they are distorting the facts and undermining our understanding about the situations particularly those matters to us as this one was/is and always will be.

Now back to Eritrea.

The English had one big problem in North Africa and the Middle East. That was defeating the Ottoman in order to colonize the territories. Aste Theodros asked them when they he met them the first time to fight the Ottoman Empire together in order to free Jerusalem from them. But the English killed him knowing this was a business proposal for equal interest and he had own vision and agenda rather than working for the English being including against his own interest as far as waging wars against own country and people. He taught wrongly about them because of they were Christians and they would do the right things for Jerusalem and other Christians. Because the Muslim – Christian situation was very much divided at that time because of the ottoman policy and tricky games with divide and rule policy.
The English knew the Ethiopians would like to fight the ottoman to free matsawa and the way to reach Jerusalem. As a result they approached Atse yohannes as they put him on Throne earlier. He agreed with clear vision and certain outcome. That was among the others Matsawa had to be returned back to the rest of the Ethiopian coasts after the ottoman defeat. The English agreed and gave a 100% promised Guarantee to him in the name of God. In Yohaneses life, God was more than anything including a piece of paper and promise was always part of the human soul no normal human being can lie or reject his own promises. As a result Atse yohannes directly engaged in the war together with the English against the ottoman.

Ottoman was defeated and Matsawa became free after tens of thousands Ethiopians solders and fighters died and Injured. But the known liars and mischief English didn’t kept their promise. They gave Matsawa to the Italians. This way the Eritrean internal as well as related to Ethiopia is created. By the English not keeping the promise or lies. Italy was looking a presence in the region. England was looking to have as an ally anyone who can be an enemy to France. Because during that Time France was doing the best in Africa including North and West Africa. England was looking any reason to weaken France including using Italy despite Both France and Italy are Latin people with lots of things in common.

Then Italy got a Military base in mastswa from where it waged expansion wars against Ethiopia including the Adwa war. In 1902, Italy gave the Ethiopian province called Bahire Negash a new name and called Eritrea. The English hostility against Ethiopia grew by day when Aste Yohannes and latter on Minilik developed a good relationship with France. As a result, they gave the idea and facilitated Italy to block Ethiopia from the sea using a piece of land even the blind can see it today that it was done only to block Ethiopia from the sea with aim to hurt and control her
France was looking presence in the eastern part of Africa. Minilik of Ethiopia and France agreed France could have a base and administration presence in the Afar and Isa region of Ethiopia later on France changed that name and became Djibouti. The agreement was France to stay there for 99 years and after that it had to return to Ethiopia as Hongkong, Macau or other regions did to china after hundreds of years ruled by the English and Portugal. But when Ethiopia comes, Djibouti also declared independent which is against the agreement with France.
As everyone knows it was not a French or Italian idea to block Ethiopia from the sea in order to weaken and control her, but the English and the Djibouti case CIA was also there. When you look at the Ethiopian map, you can see it easily. The eastern boarder was done by the evil people with force and lies only to block Ethiopia from the sea. Look at D. Congo, Iraq, Jordan or other new and small nations how they managed to get a port and sea coast line. But when it comes to Ethiopia, they used more than 1400 km line along side the sea in order to block Ethiopia from the sea. This is another living testimonial Historical mistake the English lead so called western did to Ethiopia.
For how long that will last is the biggest question. No matter what they say or do, the time will come the region will reject the bad foreigners that are affecting all the citizens very badly. Instead it will unite for common benefit. Eritrea is also part of it.
Look at this Young woman. She naturally looks Habesha, dresses Habesha dresses, eat the Habesha food, Drink the Habesha drink including Thella, Teji, coffee and so on and exercise the Habesha culture, tradition and custom as tens of millions in Ethiopia are.
So, the question is, for how long they could manage continuing intentionally hurting both sides becoming between the same Habesha people that have at least 3000 recorded common history together and are one and the same people? Who is benefiting by blocking Ethiopia from the sea? Eritreans? Noo. Eritreans will benefit only when Ethiopians that are their brothers and sisters are also benefiting. But in this case both of them are losing because of foreign conspiracy against them and they are allowed it. No one is to blame but they are.

Kenteram, cheap propaganda. Ask your daddy who fought to put you in open prison.plus dawit, why you care about eritera?haaaaa,they are your cousin, i forgot. For me shabiya and woyanne are the same shit. Both are liar. Long live to the mother fuker essays afeworki, so that he screwed the Eritrean and woyannes.

why do Eritreans look like sooooo Ugly? i mean look at her? she looks like a Hungry Heyena Yeeeeeeeeeeak. pls ppl Don’t show me hungry Eritreans any more because i coulde’t eat any more after watching thier ugly face and of course thier Hyena size Mouth. 10-Q

Kibrom, the Eritreans are as beautiful as Ethiopians. Why you go about beauty contest, I know Eritreans, you are one of them who got hurt by her explanation. You are definitely Eritrean. Chika ye honk neger.

In the absence of civic associations, communitarian and religious organizations usually fill the gap; and that is the case in Eritrea. The recent pastoral letter of the Catholic Tewahdo Church of Eritrea, the Solidarity letter of the North American Diocese of the Tewahdo Church and now the letter of Excommunication of the Union of the Monasteries of Eritrea are hopeful signs that Eritreans are getting ready for a democratic change. In light of the close relationship Yoftahe Dimetros had enjoyed with the dictator of Eritrea, this is a significant and courageous step by the holy fathers of the Tewahdo Church. What goes for the Tewahdos will go for the nation; they make almost fifty percent of the population; and all democratic change-seekers must appreciate and celebrate these small but historical moments. It is the aggregate effect of these steps that will make Eritrea safe for democracy and democracy safe for Eritrea.

@Beza< Sorry Beza Shekor i was 100%Wrong to say they are ugly.and yes U are right we are all the same ppl. but what can i say? iwas just drunk like thier crazy leader isayAss Afetanki on Sunday night U see?.
(No am not Eritrean Trust me! i'am a PROUD Ethiopian From Axum)
Cheeeeers……..

OMG what you have to lie about your country you are a treader and lie I know you you where my neighed your families from Ethoipea and born Eritrea. This about you liying and this is it goes with you every wear today for Eritrea tomorrow for the place you live you’re a treader and liyer I feel sorry for yo becouse of you my get a little money and you have destroy our Eri…hestory I feel dory for you which the true you know in your heart…

She is one of the few Open minded Eritreans,who dear to tell the truth.I have seen lot of her fellow Eritreans,who crossed Sahara desert and The Mediterranean Sea for fear of persecutions,but still tell us that Eritrea is Land of Honey and Milk.She should be encouraged.Well done.!!!

Al-Toweel Isaias is not only a menace to the region but first and foremost to his own people too. Sooner or later he may see a poster in the streets of Asmara, a remake of the one shown to Ben Ali of Tunisia that goes like ‘Isaias Degage!!!’ That is not a civil society but rather a country ruled by demons and goons with a long history of human blood on their hands. The Eritrean elites should come of out this day dream of seeing themselves as a special breed of Horn of Africans and find ways to get rid of this stubborn goon who has been menacing them since the early 1970’s. They should shrug off romanticizing their days under the colonizing Italians but in stead their ‘unmatched’ intelligence to relegate this ruffian to the dustbin of history where he really belongs. Otherwise, he will take them down with him. Send him to a retirement home Qatar or to the arms of his former colonial masters in Tuscany. Good riddance either way!!! They then can work toward making Eritrea the Singapore on the Horn!!!!